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A new social distancing outdoor escape game is coming to Ireland this August

Published 11:48 14 Jul 2020 BST

This looks SO fun.

We have been doing our very best to keep up our social distancing as restrictions loosen - we've been wearing those masks, trying to keep two metres away from everyone when at all possible, and we've been really careful about the public spots where we spend our time. However, we are missing some of the fun of life before the lockdown. Yes, we've been introduced to the great times that you can have over group zoom chats or doing our newly developed hobbies, but we do miss traversing around town with some fun destinations in mind. Now it looks like we can get that back while also continuing to be safe and social distance. A new interactive outdoor escape experience called The Big Escape Live is coming to Ireland this August. It arrives Saturday, August 15, and will be moving around the country, being held in a different location each week, until October. All you need to take part is a smartphone and internet data (and a competitive streak wouldn't hurt either).

The game utilises GPS and sees towns turned into giant playgrounds with teams of up to six solving puzzles, cracking codes, and completing challenges to take down Big Al's casino in a classic heist. There will be an online leaderboard that will be updated in real time so that everyone playing gets in that competitive mood. Mark French from The Big Escape Live said:

"We're excited to bring the game to Ireland. There's a flexible start time from a designated start point giving people the opportunity to play at different times. But as teams navigate the streets together, they'll be near to each other which will hopefully create a buzz around the city, especially if they're playing in fancy dress which is optional! Teams can choose when they play the game as tickets are valid for six months but after being locked in for so long, we wanted to try and create a fun and safe outdoor atmosphere for people to enjoy."

Tickets cost €48 per team (maximum six people) and kids play for free. To find out more and to book tickets, just click here. This sounds like it's going to be such a good time. We're fully planning to get together a few groups of six and try our luck at winning. If you want to know whether this is coming near your town, here are all the Irish locations that The Big Escape Live will be visiting: Athlone, August 15 Waterford, August 15 Carlow, August 22 Killarney, August 22 Sligo Town, August 22 Castlebar, August 29 Clonmel, August 29 Portlaoise, August 29 Cork City, September 5 Dundalk, September 5 Ennis, September 12 Wexford, September 12 Dublin, September 26 Kilkenny, September 26 Galway, October 10 Limerick, October 31

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Big Escape Live

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This looks SO fun.

"We're excited to bring the game to Ireland. There's a flexible start time from a designated start point giving people the opportunity to play at different times. But as teams navigate the streets together, they'll be near to each other which will hopefully create a buzz around the city, especially if they're playing in fancy dress which is optional! Teams can choose when they play the game as tickets are valid for six months but after being locked in for so long, we wanted to try and create a fun and safe outdoor atmosphere for people to enjoy."